


I Choose You

by Ipodsandstars



Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Awesome Pepper Potts, BAMF Pepper Potts, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Feels, F/M, M/M, Multi, Pepper Feels, Proud Pepper Potts, Science Boyfriends, Science Bros, Tony Feels, Tony Fucking Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, bruce is a cute idiot, hurt pepper potts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 01:42:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1964196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ipodsandstars/pseuds/Ipodsandstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He couldn't go through with it, couldn't marry Pepper Potts because his heart belonged to someone else... His heart belonged to his favourite scientist</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tony Stark Has A Heart!?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [askscienceboyfriends](https://archiveofourown.org/users/askscienceboyfriends/gifts).



> My first attempt at a full on Science Bros/ Science Boyfriends fic
> 
> Hope you enjoy, reviews/ comments would be much appreciated

I Choose You  
Summary: He couldn't go through with it, couldn't marry Pepper Potts because his heart belonged to someone else... His heart belonged to his favourite scientist

Chapter 1: Tony Stark Has A Heart!?  
Tony Stark was sure of two things. One, he couldn't marry Pepper Potts and two, his heart belonged to someone else now.  
Today of all days, he knew he was going to be a complete arsehole. He loved Pepper, he really did. Besides Happy, Rhodey and JARVIS, Pepper had always been there for him through everything, stuck by him through everything and cared, even when Tony's dangerous life got Pepper involved too... Even with the Extremeis problem, they stuck together.

Now he was standing at the altar, waiting for Pepper to walk down the aisle towards him; the eyes of the world on him, on them. This was their day and yet, as Tony looked around nervously, he noticed someone was missing, someone was not there that should have been, the person.. No, the man he fell in love with. Doctor Banner of all people, had stolen his heart... Or whatever was actually keeping him alive right now.  
Well, Bruce didn't literally steal his heart, no. Afghanistan did and he almost died but Tony was surprisingly grateful for the series of events, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud because it made him the man he was today. Tony Stark had changed in so many ways.

He had to go. He had to go and it was now or never but the bridal march started to play and Tony's heart rate skyrocketed, his palms were sweaty and he didn't even look at Pepper or want to, because he felt shitty for everything and he had no idea how she would react. He knew all too well how the media would react but right now he didn't care  
When Pepper reached Tony, she smiled but it quickly faded when she saw the state of Tony. 

"Tony, are you okay?" She whispered.  
He slowly shook his head in response and his words came out in a jumbled stutter but Pepper knew. Oh she knew what he was trying to say.  
"It's Bruce, isn't it?" She smiled softly and cupped his face with one hand.  
Tony nodded, of course she knew. Nobody knew him like she did.  
"I'm so so sorry Pep... I can't." He whispered hoarsely but was caught by surprise when she kissed him  
"I am so proud of you, Anthony Stark. It's okay, I understand. Go to him."

Tony kissed her knuckles before walking down the aisle towards the doors, everyone began asking what he was doing. Not even Natasha and Clint had predicted this. Camera flashes came out of nowhere and were almost constant, but Tony pushed through and he turned to look at Pepper one last time and she nodded at him, waving him off with a smile as he jumped into his car and drove off.  
It didn't take him long to get back to Avengers Tower, where he knew the scientist would be. Bruce never left the premises. Tony was holding back tears as he reached the labs and punched in the code, stepping inside.

Bruce was sitting on the floor looking like a sad puppy, like always. Had he been crying too, though? It looked like it but then his face lit up in a mix of confusion and joy as Tony walked in.  
"Tony, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked softly as he got up off the floor, stumbling to his feet like he'd been hit round the head with something, his clothes were scruffy and his hair a fluffy nest, like always.  
"I came to see you, buddy." Tony replied as he walked to the edge of the lab where there was a little window and he could see the city below.  
"Tony, I don't understand. Why are you here? It's your wedding day. Everything is perfect... Does Pepper know you're here? Why would you come here, now?" 

Tony laughed, a broken laugh  
"I couldn't go through with it, Bruce."  
Bruce had apparently picked up a mug of tea while the two were talking, but it just happened to, at that moment, smash into a million pieces on the floor.  
"What, why? Pepper is perfect for you!" Bruce exclaimed.

Tony turned around, his face was red from the tears he had let run free down his face, he was still crying as he spoke.  
"Because I chose someone else. I chose you. Because I love you."


	2. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony made his choice and now Bruce had to make his

I Choose You  
Chapter 2: Choices

Bruce thought he was hallucinating when Tony walked into the labs in his tux. A few moments before he had walked in, Bruce had been moping over the fact he had never got the chance to tell Tony he loved him - he knew he was stupid and he'd humiliate himself, something he'd done many times before. That's why he didn't turn up to the wedding; it'd hurt too much to see Tony recite his vows to Pepper Potts.  
Bruce had absolutely nothing against Pepper. She was beautiful and in every way was she perfect, no words could properly describe her except for the fact she was headstrong and could put up with Tony's bullshit better than anyone. The worst thing about Tony and Pepper was that they were both Bruce's best friends and because of who he was and what he was, Bruce never actually had any friends until he met them. People just wanted Bruce for the power in his alter ego.

So his heart had jumped from his chest into his throat when he looked up at Tony from where he was sitting on the floor, he wiped away stupid tears that had ran down his cheeks and settled in his stubble.

"Tony, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked softly.  
His confused, tired face grew into that of complete shock and awe when Tony had said he had come to see him. Said heart of the scientist had possibly jumped out of his throat when Tony Stark had said three words l to hjm that Bruce Banner thought he would never ever hear him say. 'I love you'.  
Tony Stark had chosen him over Pepper Potts, oh holy hell. Bruce couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"W-What!?" Was all that the fluffy, train-wreck of a scientist had managed to splutter "Tony, are you out of your mind!? Pepper...Pepper... You...What!?"  
Great, his speech pattern had deteriorated and deserted him and he couldn't even form proper sentences. He notices Tony is laughing at him through the tears that were falling.  
"I made my choice with no regrets, Robert Bruce Banner. I choose you, I will forever choose you. Do you not realise that you are everything to me, When I saw you weren't at the church... That was the final push."

"I wasn't there because it'd hurt, seeing you with Pepper..." Bruce whispered and looked at him "I love you too, Tony. I always have. But are you sure this is what you want? I... I am... No Tony, I can't... This isn't fair on Pepper."  
Tony shook his head and explained about the whole Pepper thing. Bruce threw a glance at the other man, then turned away.  
"Yet the both of us want this, you still deny it." Tony spoke softly "I made my choice Bruce, what's yours?"

With the revelations swimming round in his head, Bruce knew life was going to be one hell of a ride from now on, yet neither would regret a thing   
It was Bruce who made the first move. Gathering Tony up into a tight embrace, their lips crashed together and tongues entered each other's mouths. Tony reached up to suck at Bruce's neck which released a groan from the scruffy sod. 

"God, how I've wanted this." It was the both of them who spoke at the same time and Tony chuckled, squeezing Bruce's hands gently as he pulled away to study the scruffy sod.  
"Where... Where do we go from here, Tony?" Bruce asked breathlessly.  
Tony smiled misceviously and Told JARVIS to lock the lab and dim the lights

The both of them would be sore in the morning but when they woke up in each other's embrace, it was so worth it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, sorry. No smut. Just fluff


	3. Proud of Her Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was proud of who they were, she was proud of what they had become

I Choose You  
Chapter 3: Proud Of Her Boys  
Over the next few months, the media went crazy on who, what, where and why Tony left Pepper at the altar. It was possibly the most amusing part of her career when the media were left clueless. All their guesses were wild, crazy and unbelievably funny; all the reports said Pepper was probably plotting revenge on Tony for ruining her big day - Natasha was enjoying reading the stuff she even kept them in frames to immortalise the media’s stupidity.

No, Pepper was happy as long as Tony was happy - the science brothers were and always would mean everything to her and she was so proud of her boys. They were all best friends, stronger than ever after the incident, to be brutally honest. Pepper was absolutely fine with it. The bonds between the three were seemingly unbreakable.   
When Pepper was asked for interviews of her view of events and dirty details of who Tony might have been with and cheating on her, she denied every single request.

Pepper Potts could handle ridiculous press, if she could handle Tony Stark on an every day basis; she could handle them. Pepper was kind and considerate, she knew the risks of exposing Bruce to the media fully, she respected her friend and knew General Ross was out looking for him. She knew the consequences of a slip up but this was Pepper, she never stepped a foot wrong. She helped Bruce avoid the press, even when most of the time he stayed low key, in the tower. He almost never left.

So if you ever see Pepper Potts walking down the streets of New York or wherever her job took her, don’t be an asshole and call her out for not bitching about Tony Stark to every magazine and newspaper in the world. Pepper wasn’t like that, she wouldn’t ever do that.   
Don’t call her out for the fact she never got any of his money or never exposed their lives behind closed doors; Pepper was a respectable, smart women. She knew right from wrong and respected privacy and personal lives.   
If you want to go up to Pepper Potts in the streets, thank her for all the hard work she’s done, be nice and apologise for the fact Pepper has to put up with so much bullshit.  
  
Respect her when she declines your offer of a drink, don’t be the asshole who won’t take no for an answer. Respect the badass woman who practically runs Stark’s businesses by herself. Respect her for the mature ways she handles situations she does not like.  
Pepper Potts was never upset about the break up’ she knew far more than the outside world did and as long as she still had her friends, that’s all that mattered to her

She was proud of her boys, proud of who they were and how far they’d come. She was proud of how they changed each other


End file.
